Quality Settings in Final Cut

We are new Final Cut users. We capture in component through a Black Magic card. Our sequence setting-Quick Time video settings - compressor is set to uncompressed - 8 bit. Quality indicator is 100%. Our problem is we seem to be using up our 500 GB raid too quickly. A one hour program could not be burned to a DVD through DVD Studio Pro without an error message telling us we were out of disc space. Should we use a different setting?

It all depens on what you want in the end. You could capture and edit at DV25 or 50 quality and save alot of drive space. Would that be satisfactory quality for your final product... only you can say. Do a few tests and see what you think.
There are other issues as well. eg the color space you'd be working with would be different, perhaps affecting your titling and any green screen stuff you might be doing. Again, you have to be the judge.
If you are running out of drive space when encoding the dvd then DVDSP doesn't have enough room to do the encode to that drive. I'm not sure how it works with DVDSP but can you select another (scratch) drive for it to work with?
rh

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Audio upsampling in Quicktime Pro: Best export settings for Final Cut?

I'm using Quicktime Pro to convert audio from 32 kHz to 48 kHz, for use in FCE/FCP. Quicktime gives me several options for export settings. I want to make the conversion lossless, without increasing the size of the audio file too much.
These are the settings I'm using so far:
Format: Linear PCM
Channels: Stereo (L R)
Rate: 48 kHz
Sample Rate Converter Settings: Quality: Best
Linear PCM Settings: Sample size: 16 bits
Are these settings the best choices? Does anyone have experience doing this kind of upsampling?
Here are the other options in Quicktime:
Format: Linear PCM, A-Law 2:1, IMA 4:1, MACE 3:1, MACE 6:1, QDesign Music 2, Qualcomm PureVoice, and mu-Law 2:1
Channels: 2 Discrete Channels, Mono, Stereo (L R)
Rate: there are other choices, but I know 48 kHz is what I want
Advanced Settings:
Sample Rate Converter Settings: Faster, Fast, Normal, Better, Best
Linear PCM Settings (when Linear PCM is the format): 8 bit, 16 bit, 24 bit, 32 bit (floating point checked), 32 bit (floating point unchecked).
The file size grows quickly as you increase the Linear PCM bit settings.

You can't create something that is not in the file.
Moving from 32kHz to 48 will only make the file size
larger and can't improve the audio.
Doesn't FCP or FCE import your file at 32. Or does it
change it to 48 after import?
I am aware that increasing the audio from 32 kHz to 48 kHz will not improve the quality of the audio. And yes, Final Cut Pro and Express will both capture and allow you to work witih 32 kHz audio.
I have several hours of video shot with 32 kHz audio settings that I'd prefer to have stored on disk with 48 kHz audio, because (a) some applications like iMovie have demonstrated problems with 32 kHz audio in the past, and (b) the majority of my video is shot with 48 kHz audio, so my 32 kHz video will eventually end up in a 48 kHz project, leaving the upsampling to Final Cut. Yes, I do eventually plan to burn my projects to DVD as well, but this isn't an immediate concern.
The problem with doing the conversion in Final Cut is this: Some of the people knowledgeable about Final Cut Pro and Express recommend doing the upsampling using Quicktime or another application, instead of using Final Cut, because Final Cut may not do as good a job as Quicktime. So my intention is to upsample the audio now in preparation for later projects. I don't completely understand why Final Cut wouldn't do as good of a job at upsampling, but a couple of experienced users in the FCP and FCE forums have independently corroborrated this.
Thanks to everyone for their helpful posts and responsiveness.
PowerMac G5 Quad 2.5 GHz 3GB RAM Mac OS X (10.4.5) NVIDIA GeForce 7800GT
Message was edited by: Anthony M Kassir MD

I need help: Canon HF S10 settings for Final Cut

Hello, i am a German guy, so i am sorry that my english is not very well.
I got the Canon HF S 10 from Japan, so its an NTSC one. For Cutting i am using Final Cut Pro. I want to produce online Videos in the best possible Quality.
My Problem is, that i dont know witch settings i should take for best Quality.I already tryed much. The Quality is good if i dont move the camera. If i move it the Video becames very bad Quality.
The Cam has these possibilitys:
Frame Rate: 60i (Standard), PF30, PF24.
24Mbps (MXP), 17Mbps (FXP), 12Mbps XP+,7Mbps (SP), 5Mbps (LP)
I dont know with import Settings i should use for Final Cut.
Could you please help me to find the right settings?
Thanks alot

I tryed it, but there is no besser result. Could you maybe help me again? If i import from my hdd cam, i just need to put the Final Cut Settings for the Sequenz right? There i put ProRes 1920 x 1080i60.
I push import and it opens the window to import my files. There are also settings on the top:
P2 Plugin
P2 AVC-Intra - Nativ
AVCHD Pugin
AVCHD - Apple ProRes 422 (HQ)
AC - 3 Audio - Matrix Stereo
Is that all right?

Help with sequence settings in final cut for project with 2 different frame rates.

I really need help with this one! I finished editing a wedding video and realized after exporting that it was filmed in two different frame rates. This has happened before but I converted the footage to match and fixed the problem. In this case, the footage is part 30fps and part 60fps. The majority of it was filmed in 30fps. I cannot convert the 60 to 30 without the slow motion effect which I do not need so I have to find a way to burn this to a DVD without it looking messed up! The video was shot with two Canon 7ds if that helps anything. The first sequence I set at 29.97 and exported as a quicktime movie and all the footage filmed in 60 looked perfect and the footage in 30 looked jittery. Then I tried the sequence at 59.97 and it switched. The footage filmed at 30 looked good and the 60 was cropped in. I am so confused! Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks for your help Michael! The frame rates are 29.97 1920 x 1080 and 59.94 1280 x 720. I did a control click on the clips in final cut and viewed the item properties/format to find this info. The Canon 7d is a DSLR but we use it for video. As for my workflow, the first thing I do is import the footage onto my computer and then drag the clips into mpeg streamclip. I choose apple prores 422 and uncheck the interlaced box. Once this is done I import the .mov files into final cut. The sequence automatically sets itself to whatever clip I drag in first so it originally set as 29.97. When I finished editing wedding video, I export it to a quicktime movie and choose whatever settings match the sequence, in this case apple prores 422 1920 x 1080 30p. Once that is done I use iDVD to burn the discs.
I knew something was wrong when I watched the quicktime movie and all the 30fps footage was jittery and most of the cross dissolves looked strange. That's when I figured out the footage was at two different frame rates. What I don't understand is why whatever the sequence is set at in final cut, the clips of the opposite frame rate look right but the clips set at the matching frame rate don't???

Saving settings in final cut

I remember watching a tutorial about Final Cut Express that said something about doing something so that each time you open FCE it has the same settings as when you opened it last. I cant remember how to do it and cant find the tutorial anywhere. I seem to remember it was pretty simple...
Also does this mean it will have all the folders and clips already loaded into the browser when it opens?
Thanks

The only time the settings will change is when you alter them.
When you open FCE it should always be exactly as you left it.
Yes.

Poor quality video output - final cut studio 2

hi all,
i shot some footage in HD (1080p). it looks great in the clips from the camera as well as in fcp but when i output its very grainy. how can i retain the HD quality? i am not sure what i should be exporting it as. its going onto a dvd and will be used for commerical puporses in a small restaurant. i tried compressor but know next ot nothing about that and the footage came out the same.
thanks!

You need to focus (and maybe read a bit) on the output from FCP. Do not concern yourself with Compressor or anything else until you are happy with the output from FCP because it doersn't get any better than it is at that point.
If the 1080p shows up in your browser with a Compressor description of H.264, you need to transcode it into ProRes (or equiv) before editing.
Your timeline should be fully rendered, then export using File>Export>QuickTime Movie using Current Settings and make sure the "Make Movie Self-Contained" option is selected. This should look just like the timeline when played in QuickTime Player. If it doesn't, we'll need all your sequence settings and kindred info when you post back.
If it looks OK in QT Player, simply import it to Compressor and select the appropriate output format. If you're not sure what the format should be, post back with your presentation plans.
Good luck

Output Settings "Share" Final Cut Pro 10.1.2

I've used MPEG StreamClip to convert videos to make them smaller and still look OK. What settings can I use in FCP to "share" that will give me similar results? I've experimented and can't seem to hit on any that do as good of a job. I want to eliminate the extras steps of using StreamClip. IThe screenshot is the StreamClip settings I use.

In Compressor, we are able to create custom settongswith the ability to adjust a lot of size/quality parameters. Typically customs settings are created wither by duplicating a preset or by clicking the Plus button in the lower left of the Settings pane. When we click that button, we get a drop down – one of the choices of which is MPEG 4. If I select that, here is what the video pane looks like by default.
A lot of things need to be changed here, including the resolution (Frame Size) and Pixel Aspect Ratio and Data Rate.
The first screen shot you posted is of one of the Apple Device stock presets. The second is also a stock preset – primarily used for self hosted Web content.
Russ

Best Quality Export From Final Cut Pro Into After Effects?

So I converted all my footage into Apple Pro Res 422 (24 p, 1280 x 720) for use in FCP and want to export edited parts into After Effects. What is the best quality export to bring into After Effects and also export from After Effects back into FCP?

zikade wrote:
Depending on your storage and what you're up to with your footage I'd recommend uncompressed. Large files but you won't loose any quality. Animation is also lossless if you want to compress your footage. If your drives are not fast enough, go for ProRes HQ from FCP to AE, and Animation the way back...
Since you've converted to 422, stick with that. You cannot gain anything by exporting from FCP to a codec that has a higher bandwidth such as PRHQ or Animation. You just don't want to go down.
Rendering out of After Effects going back to FCP jsut use the same base codec. Again, you will gain nothing by using a higher quality codec. However, you may want to use PR4444 or even Animation if you must have an alpha channel. PR4444 uses trillions of colors and you will get an interesting warning when you try to render to it. You can dismiss the warning.
PR4444 has the distinct advantage of being realtime in FCP7 and X. Animation requires rendering back in teh FCP timeline.
bogiesan

Mpeg streamclip avi to mov conversion settings for Final Cut Pro

Some help please.
I have just started to attempt to edit some avi files on the latest FCP, and for one reason or another, I'm having trouble converting the AVI files to MOV files in Streamlip, I have tried quite a few variations, but with very little joy. When i try to import a recently created MOV file into my FCP project, it either has no audio or both video and audio need rendering once placed on the timeline.
When I try to play the created MOV on QuickTime, again, there is no sound.
I was just wondering if someone would be kind enough to tell me the exact Streamclip AVI -> MOV settings they have used to combat this problem, or simply just tell me where I'm going wrong.
Hugely appreciated.

Hi again,
I have spent the last few hours trying all different types of variations of conversion, but with no lukc.
Thanks for the tutorial link, but the problem isn't that I don't understand how to use Streamclip. i just don't know which video and audio settings to use to create a .MOV file that will provide me with audio. This seems to be my major problem so far. Audio isn't even present when I view the .MOV clip in quicktime.
I have tried DV - PAL, H.264, Apple Motion Jpeg A, Apple DVCPRO - PAL etc etc, none with any success. It may be the way I'm trying to compress the audio, but I'm pretty sure that I've now tried everything!
I simply need to know a good conversion and compression setting that will at the very least allow me to play the video with audio in QT. once I have that, I don't mind rendering the audio in FCP as it takes no time at all to do.
Cheers!

Every video put into Final Cut Pro exports in horrible quality regardless of format/settings.

Hello fellow Mac enthusiasts,
I'm having a problem which may or may not have been plaguing my studio since day one. Every video that we edit in Final Cut Pro exports in MUCH lower quality than it was when it was imported, not only that, the file size of the newly exported video is several times the size of the original. What I end up getting is a file too large for our clients to email around. We recently had a client come into our studio with a flash drive full of 15 second avi's no larger than 900 KB, he wanted a few of them edited together with simple cross fade transitions, and even a few seconds of dead space cut out. He needed them to be the highest quality possible for a powerpoint presentation he may now be unable to give. At first I exported them as Uncompressed avi's, best quality, thousands of colors, and no sound. The resulting file was not only blurrier, but now 260.5 MB!! And that one was with zero edits! The original was 803 KB and crystal clear. So after that I decided to try a few tests. We also produce a bi-weekly hour-long local television show, which looks fine on television but now I'm wondering how much better it could and should look. I've been exporting that out as a Quicktime, Apple ProRes 442 HQ, Interlaced bottom-field-first, zero filters, both compressor native and NTSC 720 X 480. I attempted this method on the client's original 803 KB with zero edits and not only did it export a completely unusable video compared to the original, but it was now 57.1 MB. What is going on here? Is Final Cut conspiring against me? I'm guessing it's something in my settings which I'll shamefully admit I know absolutely nothing about. Could anyone help a struggling video editor do his job?
Joey

Hey guys sorry it took me song long to respond it's been a busy week filled with many things not relating to final cut...
In response to David's post, the original file is indeed larger than 720X480, though it's dimensions are not available to see in the 'more info' associated with the file itself. By comparison, the apple pro res LT file I exported through final cut of the same avi file is 720X480, and looks significantly worse.
[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/87/screenshotofavis.png/][IMG]http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/5421/screenshotofavis.png[/IMG][/URL]
This was after I created a new project, made the sequence settings into Apple ProRes lt 30p under the audio/video settings in Final Cut, and exported it as the same with 'current' dimensions (it was listed as 850X637, maybe that was the original?) Although I did have to render the original avi itself once it was placed in the timeline. I guess there's no way to know exactly what sort of avi my original file is so I can match my sequence to it? The 'more info' (to be fair im sort of used to 'properties') leaves something to be desired..
I guess my question is: what else can I change in my settings to leave the quality of the video intact, if anything?
Thanks everyone.

Final Cut Pro exports very low quality video to DVD

I tried exporting a timeline to a DVD from Final Cut Pro X 10.0.3 today. Every clip in the timeline was 1080x1920, but the DVD export menu insisted (without offering an option to change settings) that Final Cut export at 720x480. The Blu-Ray menu offers 1080x1920 exporting, though. Is there any way to get the app to export to DVDs at 1080x1920?

Yes, you can create an AVCHD Disc which is basically Blu-ray quality on a cheapo standard DVD.
Select Share>Blu-ray and in the window that opens make sure the Output Device is your DVD burner, not the hard drive.
Note that you will only get about 35 minutes at the highest quality.
If your video is longer the data rate will be reduced but should still produce good quality hi-def up to an hour or so.
You must play the DVD in a Blu-ray player. It will not work in a normal DVD player.

Final Cut export quality

I exported a video segment with animated text out of motion and the quality was almost perfect. When I brought that motion project into final cut and export from there, the quality of text looks terrible-jagged and blurry. The export settings of my sequence in final cut were:
Keep current settings
Make self-contained movie
There is no compression in the sequence settings within final cut.
Does anyone know how to get a better quality export out of final cut?

Make sure your Motion project was the same setting as your sequence in FCP.. all DV or HDV or whatever...
Might post what format you're working in...
Jerry
Message was edited by: Jerry Hofmann

Custom Compressor settings not showing in Final Cut Pro X?

I have FInal Cut Pro X and Compressor 4.1. I've made a few custom settings in Compressor and can even see them in Library/Application Support/Compressor/Settings but they don't show up when I click on 'Export using Compressor Settings' in Final Cut Pro X.

Do you see them in the Custom follder in the Compressor Settings pane?
How about here in the FCPX Destination Preferences?
Russ

Does Final Cut Studio deliver better quality than Final Cut Express

If my export target is Apple-TV 720p, is there any difference between the quality delivered in Final Cut Express versus the new Final Cut Studio? E.g. is it the same because Quicktime is doing it? I read something on the FCS home page that it "adapted the quality to the video content"? So would FSC somehow be better at utilizing the maximum 5Mbps data stream compared to FCE? Thanks.
-Troels

+is there any difference between the quality delivered in Final Cut Express versus the new Final Cut Studio?+
Not really, not per se, for this purpose. There are many factors at play, very important among them is the nature of your source media - if it is shot on a high quality camera and captured in ProRes or one of the other higher quality codecs supported by FCS then maybe you would see a difference. What are you using?

30p with a Canon XA10 - need help with Final Cut 7 "FIELD DOMINANCE" setting and an explanation of "drop frames". Thank you!!

I shot footage using a Canon XA10 and there are issues with the HD quality not looking as crisp as it should. I am trying to make sure the settings in Final Cut are right. Need help confirming what should be in "Field Dominance" --- have seen discussions about making sure it's set to "none" but I'm confused as to what to do.
Also someone suggested I use "drop frames" to change from 30p to 24p within Final Cut. He couldn't explain how to do it so any input appreciated as well as any thoughts on whether this is a good option to try.

If you're shooting 30p, field dominance should be set to none. Since you need to use log and transfer to bring this material in to fcp, I would assume it would be set correctly automatically. Are you sure you've set the camera properly?
Drop frames will not change 30 p to 24p. Dropframe timecode simply refers to the number assigned to each frame which drops an occasional number (not any frames) so the timecode duration is the actual duration, since 30p videoi is actually 29.97 frames per second which each frame assigned a timecode number.
This is very basic video stuff and requires some basic knowledge of video. Wikipedia is a pretty good resource for much of this stuff plus there are lots of great resources on the web. Look up interlaced and progressive video, 24p and 30p.
And as far as judging quality, you can only get an accurate view of the quality in fcp when you have a video card attached to a video monitor. The viewer and canvas are only an approximation of what the quality is. Minimally, set the canvas or viewer to 100% to get a better approximation of the quality.

Quality Settings in Final Cut

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